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Eye of Newt, Toe of Frog

Our property backs up to a preserved wetland area so we have a multitude of frogs and toads hopping around. In fact, I’d have made a great vendor back-in-the-day for the “toe of frog” part of the ingredients that the three witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth required for their spell:

Double, double toil and trouble;Fire burn and cauldron bubble.Eye of newt, and toe of frog,Wing of bat, and tongue of dog…

We’re always on the lookout when mowing

Our back door has a cement slab that serves as the “porch.” In the evening, the porch light acts as a magnet for flying insects. Subsequently, an even bigger draw for toads—or are they frogs? If you’d like to know the difference, simply click HERE.

A few of those fine fellows manage to sniggle their way under the storm door each night to greet me in the morning when I let our dogs out. As I carefully relocate them back outside—wiggling vigorously between my cupped hands—it’s fun to think about potions and spells, and just what I’d do if I actually knew how…

28 thoughts on “Eye of Newt, Toe of Frog”

The way your mind works!! Oye! Of course it is always fun to see and read what you come up with!!!
Don’t you make potions with crystals and herbs, or blends of essential oils? Plus you whirl potions with words and language in your writings to effect the minds and spirits of others ! So no need to use live creatures to created these mystical adornments to assist change in the world.

I hope I cast as spell with my photography, which is its purpose in my life. The effect of each photograph is up to the person who is viewing it of course….

Good Morning,
Love it! I would create a spell for a feeling of overwhelming sense of happiness to come over the recipient. Just a wave of bliss that stops them in their tracks. They couldn’t remember what they were unhappy about, or complaining about, or all the things they still had to do today, what day it is, why they were rushing…………….just feel joy. aaaahhhhh did you feel it? You have just been happified!

If I could Laurie I’d cast a spell turning the mountains here into an ocean and take a long beach walk while drinking my morning coffee. I’d take a good long swim in the ocean too before turning it all back, after which I’d take a long hike in the lush green of the high country here, poising myself atop a peak in anticipation of a stunning summer solstice sunset which I’d photograph and post to my blog, along with an enchanting story entitled ‘Tips On How To Create A Potion And Cast A Spell’. . . . thanks Laurie for stimulating the creative muse in all of us on this the longest day of the year!

Here on the sunny isle of Mayne we have frogs. These tiny green guys sing each evening to attract a mate–and we all benefit. I’d have a hard time “using” them to cast a spell–they’re just too cute. However, if I could humanily create a potion I’d cast a spell of…fame…um…fortune…um…success…um…enlightment. : )

If I could cast a spell that really worked, today it would be to strengthen my short-term auto pilot memory. You know the one that picks up the right lid for the pot without thinking about it or can remember that you walked into the pantry not for crackers but to put the clothes in the dryer. Let see, it would go something like…

“Toil, boil, mind of steel, turn your auto complete button on before we see a doe on the lawn.”

Did you ever discover what kind of eggs those were that you found in the compost Laurie?

Terrill – I oh-so-relate to what you’re saying in regards to short-term memory! I love your spell! (and unfortunately, we never did discover what type of eggs they were before they shriveled up and died. I don’t think the mother ever came back to the nest).

There was a dried out dead one at our wall this morning. The perfect find for any small inquisitive boy.

As for the spell. I immediately know the spell I would like to cast. And on whom. But something stops me. It has to be real and voluntary and conscious – the behaviour I’d like to encourage – so a spell would be, well, cheating.

Well, if we are wishing, why stop small? It would be back to the Garden of Eden for me. Where spiders never bite, fireants don’t exist and poison ivy was never conceived ( that’s why they needed clothes! ) All things united in Nature and when the Lion licked the Lamb it was not as a taste test. The tree frogs are calling for rain tonight, the air is damp enough to get them excited. I wonder where they have been lately, it has been so dry and hot. I suppose you know that handling toads will give you warts? I don’t believe it, I handled toads from a very young age and never got warts until I turned twelve. When I was fourteen a man ” conjured ” them off and I haven’t had one since. Course, I quit playing with toads too.

I like to cast spells with words, Laurie. My life has been transformed after I have read works by authors such as Helen Keller, Viktor Frankl, Jon Kabat-Zinn, and others. These transformations have been amazing. Here I am just minding my own business and here comes this book, so I sit down, we become friends, and something in the book, some phrase or sentence or idea or thought hooks my attention and I am suddenly no longer the same. I am transformed. I would like to do the same for other people someday.

That’s interesting about the differences between frogs and toads. I love the chorus of peep frogs in the vernal pools in the spring.

If I could create a potion or cast a spell that really worked, it would be for each and every person on this planet to accept and celebrate differences, instead of being divided by them. For us all to live and let live… Co-existence!

I shared life with a daughter who loved frogs. She helped her Dad build her bedroom area and they added Jingle Bell green to one wall and then stenciled in Amazon poisonous dart frogs around the ceiling molding. Mom added 2 big green stuffed animal parrots she found at a local grocery story produce section that were going away and a lovely white duvet cover covered in rainbow coloured flowers.

She wrote story after story about fairies and witches and children at summer camp and always just always there were toads and frogs in every story. She has moved on to being a librarian at a public school – though lots of east coast private schools wanted her, my pied piper thought these children needed her. Today is her last day of school….she is one of the people let go…. maybe she can get one of her books published ( She just needs a paying job to pay off that $100K Master’s degree from Michigan)

I am working on a magic spell for academic loan relief for each of my children right now.

🙂
When we first moved in here we heard lots of peepers this time of year in the evening…now it is silent…
though we still have deer in our garden ( eating everything down to the nub) racoons, red hawks, and this week a very smelly skunk – I think the coyotes have moved on…Oh yes a lovely owl sings lullabies this year as we are going to sleep – what a gift ( we life almost right downtown!)

With the summer months upon us Laurie (and love this “Eye of Newt Toe of Frog” lead-in) I am thinking I will cast a spell that will enhance the resolve of my family members-myself included- to take full advantage of the outdoors, by walking every day and engaging in some basic exercises. I know the summer often brings in humidity and almost unbearable outside conditions, but I guess the key is taking advantage of the real good days.

I guess my potion of magic would be to get my lazy butt in gear and out of the winter doldrums. Maybe that’s what winter is all about…..bears do it…hibernate, I mean 🙂 I’d like to see your toads and froggies . . .they sound cute. I bet they sing great tunes.